A/N: For those who PM'ed me asking why I made Eien even more powerful (and you'll see how powerful shortly) its because if you look at it from his standpoint its to be expected; he's spent a whole year sparring with the embodiment of Death itself, with only a few hours sleep per day mixed in with reading about the knowledge of any dead person in the history of Remnant. He could pick up techniques or strategies from their memories that were written in the books, and sparring for a full year compared to Beacon students (who only have classes and generally relax) its a lot tougher.
Lets see if you can guess the Semblances of the Spirits before they are openly announced, ya?
I DO NOT OWN RWBY
Chapter 16: Fighting Spirit
As CRDL made their way onto the stage, Eien's hand became visible as it parted through the fabric of his cloak, onyx-black gauntlets glowing faintly as a grey Sigil formed in front of him. A black form rose from the transdimensional portal, the tar slowly melting off of the person like water as they stared blankly at CRDL. The person in question was female, standing at around 5'2 with a monochrome look to her appearance. Said appearance was her straight hair that was half black and half white, split down the middle with black on the left and white on the right. The same goes for her eyes; her left was an onyx black, while her left was an ivory white against a black sclera.
Her outfit was a simple one-piece dress, which like the rest of her was black on the left side, white on the right side. It went down to her knees and the skirt part was 'reinforced' as to prevent it from flying up, similar to what Ruby had. She had elbow-length gloves that were fully black on the left and fully white on the right. As per her appearance, her shoes were a pair of sleek common slight-heeled shoes, left black and right white. On her back was an 'X' shape of two sheaths, a katana present in each of them with the same colouration. Her whole appearance could be cut down the middle, the left side black and right white, the only thing unaffected being her pale skin.
''You know what to do'' Eien said to no fighter in particular, giving a nod to CRDL and the girl before disappearing back onto the stage.
''What are your names?'' She asked in a monotone as she reached over her back, drawing both swords. They were identical in all but colour, with the metal blades also reflecting the colours.
''Cardin Winchester''.
''Russell Thrush''.
''Dove Bronzewing''.
''Sky Lark''.
The girl nodded as they all gave their names ''Mona''.
''3! 2! 1!'' The counter AI clocked down before buzzing a 'GO!'.
Unlike previous matches, Mona nor CRDL charged head-first into the battle, instead both sides watched the other like a hawk. After nearly ten seconds of tense silence Cardin led the charge, considerably more agile than when he first came to Beacon. Sky and Dove hung back while Russell followed his leader, a few paces back as Mona watched with a blank gaze, giving nothing away. As Cardin approached he swung his morning star down at her right side, and she moved to the side as predicted. What nobody expected was for Russell to jump onto Cardin's armoured shoulder and use him as leverage, flipping down at Mona who looked equally surprised as everyone else. CRDL wasn't known for tactics and teamwork.
Getting over her surprise, Mona narrowed her eyes ever-so-slightly as she ducked, doing a flourishing twirl and managed to get a small gash across Russell's torso while she took a light cut to her cheek. Continuing her momentum she lashed out with a double-swing at Cardin, blades swinging in an 'X' arc at him. Cardin took a few steps back however and the blades were set to miss, only for black and white beams of energy to shoot of the blades, forming a monochrome X and impacting his chest, sending him stumbling back and leaving a faint mark on his armour.
Without a word she extender a finger from her right blade pointing at Cardin, a grey glow illuminating her body before Cardin also gained the same glow, before the teen in question gave a grunt of surprise. Mona spun on her heel and turned to Russell, blocking both daggers with one sword while lashing out with the second, landing a cut across his stomach. Cardin meanwhile flailed in a blind panic, unintentionally hitting Dove with his mace and sending him tumbling as Cardin's free hand started swatting at his eyes.
''What the hell? Did you blind me or some shit?!'' He barked in annoyance as he blindly swung his weapon, even though Mona was way out of reach.
''Idiot'' She mumbled flatly to herself as she spun, one sword deflecting Sky's halberd while the other dropped her white sword, fist racing up and punching Sky in the face with the surprise move. As he stumbled back she did an elegant but swift twirl, the momentum and energy in her blade condensing before firing in a 'C' shaped arc at him, the black arc slamming into his torso and sending him tumbling away. Without delay she picked up her blade just in time to block Dove's downward slash, but was unable to block Russell's daggers. She grunted and her blank visage flinched in pain as they slashed at her chest and stomach, creating thin cuts that her Aura was already beginning to heal.
Still she narrowed her eyes and jerked her wrist, sending a small but powerful blast of condensed Aura at Russell that exploded like a grenade, sending him flying out of her range with a first-degree burn on his torso. She shoved Dove back and her foot shot up like a bullet, striking him in the chin with her heel before slashing downwards with her blade, releasing another wave of condensed energy that brought Dove's Aura down even more. Still unlike Aria and Kindle, she was far more serious, and didn't intend to drag it out and allow CRDL the chance to defeat her. She chased after Dove, unleashing a barrage of thrusts and jabs with her white blade while blocking or redirecting his own blade with her onyx one.
As Dove's Aura dropped to 20% she pushed him back before crossing her blades in an 'X' shape, then slashing down. It create an 'X' beam of energy, one beam white and the other black, as they crashed into Dove, sending him soaring across the arena and into the barrier, down and out.
''Dove Bronzewing is out!''.
Mona spun just in time to block Sky's halberd, grunting as he kicked her in the stomach, but she didn't falter as her other blade came up and slashed at his chest, whittling away his Aura just a bit more. In the background Cardin was continuing to thrash, calling obscenities and unable to find his opponents. A swift, elegant twirl led Sky to stumble back with two additional cuts on his chest, which were joined by two larger ones less than a moment later. Halberds weren't known for their defensive properties - most polearms weren't, scythes included - and as such, Sky was having a very difficult time blocking the swift volley of attacks from Mona while Russell tried to recover from being accidentally hit by Cardin. Currently, their Aura's were at;
Mona: 82% / Cardin: 95% / Russell: 68% / Dove: 8% / Sky: 32%
With that information taken in at a glance, Mona increased her assault as small projectiles of Aura shot off from her blade even swing, and in three slashes Sky was sent flying back, Aura dropped to 9% and classifying him as out.
''Sky Lark is out''.
Dodging to the left to avoid a drop-kick from Russell, she pressed both blade together as they glowed, before reforming and clicking into place as a single large sword. Without giving her opponent a chance to examine the weapon she lashed out with a wide swing, cutting across his stomach and sending him stumbling back from the force behind it. Despite her lithe frame she wielded the broadsword with expert skill, losing only the slightest amount of momentum with the larger blade as she continued to twirl and swing and Russell, only for said teen to be swatted aside by Cardin, the hit dropping Russell down to 5% and making him out.
''Russell Thrush is out''.
''Now to deal with you'' Mona said as she faced Cardin, the soft glow encompassing him fading away. He blinked a dozen times a second, before they narrowed with all the fury of a bull at Mona, who idly flipped her onyx blade into a reverse grip.
''The hell did you do?'' Cardin asked in a grumble instead of bull-rushing like an idiot.
''My Semblance'' Mona replied plainly ''Sense Neutralization, completely shutting down your sense of smell, sight, hearing, touch, taste''.
''So that's why I couldn't see'' He said, mostly to himself, before he hefted his weapon up ''Then why'd you stop using it then?''.
''It would be unfair to whittle away at your Aura while in such a state'' Mona replied evenly ''Enough talk, we finish this''.
''I can agree'' Cardin smirked as Mona charged. He waited until she got close and smashed his mace onto the ground, causing an explosion that made Mona stumble slightly, but reflexes saved her from getting punched in the face by Cardin. She slashed at his side twice in quick succession, sliding past him and using his big build against him as she unleashed a barrage of slashes on his back and sides. Eventually Cardin fell to his knees, Aura knocked down to 8% while Mona stood at 75%.
''Cardin Winchester is out, Team CRDL is out!'' Glynda called out as Mona nodded, a Sigil appearing at her feet as she faded away instead of going to stand beside Eien.
'How did I do, father?' Mona asked, using the same title as Eleanor.
'You did excellent. You handled it expertly while not going over the top' Eien mentally smiled, a small pulse of Aura from within him acting almost as a pat on the head, though it was their only way of communicating with 'physical' touch without her or another Spirit being manifested. Mona was actually quite shy, but you couldn't tell by looking at her, it was hidden beneath her mask of indifference, one that she had not be born with personality-wise, instead she when she was created Eien intended her to be a more shy person, but after it started to hinder her Eleanor assisted her, and everything's in the past.
Mona, on the inside of Eien's soul, beamed at the praise.
''Because of the limited time, we'll have to move on'' Ozpin murmured to Eien, who subtly nodded. With equal subtly, Ozpin manipulated the screen, so when it finally slowed down it, instead of a student team, showed Raven and Qrow Branwen - much to everyone's surprise.
''Think you can handle that?'' Ozpin remarked quietly, a smirk on his face.
''Of course'' Eien shot back smoothly as Raven and Qrow walked on stage, having been at the back of the room watching. Both were now full-time teachers at Beacon, mainly specialising in stealth or something along the lines of it. Eien once again teleported down to the stage, this time two Sigils appearing.
''Because of you both being A-Rank Hunters, you will be facing two opponents'' Eien smiled mysteriously as two figures rose, the darkness melting away shortly after. The first was male at around 5'10, shaved grey hair and matching eyes, a stoic look on his face. He wore a dark purple vest and camouflage army pants with black military boots. He also had a onyx belt on, a modern Trench Knife on it. He crossed his arms over his chest, staring at Raven and Qrow impassively.
The second was a young girl, probably the same if not slightly younger than Kindle was. She had a small build(in basically every way, looking even younger than her intended age), shoulder-length pink hair and dark pink eyes, a dark pink star-shaped earring on both ears. She was wearing a dark maroon witch robe that went to her knees, a grey bolero jacket tied at the collar with a black ribbon, black shoes and a black witch hat on her head. In her left hand was a classic witch broom, while her other hand was adjusting the hat on her head.
''You know what to do'' Eien smirked at them. The man nodded, while the witch smirked back and nodded. Eien disappeared and reappeared back on the stage with Ozpin and the other present teachers, flashing the headmaster a cocky smirk at the same time.
''So... what's your names?'' Qrow asked as he unsheathed his weapon, falling into a stance as the clock ticked down to starting.
''Kotori, S-Rank'' The girl said with a smirk, taunting and sly.
''Kenshi, S-Rank'' The man informed gruffly, getting into a boxers stance ''You?''.
''Qrow Branwen''.
''Raven Branwen'' Raven replied as she stood in a formless stance ''Also... S-Rank?''.
''Mm, we're what Eienny likes to call S-Ranks'' Kotori explained nonchalantly, confident smirk never falling from her face ''We're stronger than the others by a fair margin, if I do say so myself, though there's only five of us at the moment. I'm the second strongest, with Kenshi being the fifth strongest''.
''Hm... and who's the other S-Rank's?'' Raven humoured the duo, whilst also willingly gaining info.
''Tsk, tsk, that wouldn't be fun to tell you, would it?'' She smirked mockingly, waggling a finger ''But... the strongest of us?''.
Kotori didn't continue immediately, shivering ''Ohhhh he gives me the creeps, no offence to him, its just his grin and his eyes... plus his fighting style... it makes me ponder the sanity of Eienny''.
''I'm perfectly sane!~'' Eien pouted, using an overly joyful tone ''He isn't, but that's just how he is''.
''Yeah, yeah'' Kotori dismissed as the counter got to five ''So~ Kenshi, Firewall?''.
''Alright'' He nodded, 'Firewall' being the codename for a tactic in which Kenshi would defend Kotori, while Kotori deals most of the damage.
The buzzer buzzed and Qrow took off, meeting Kenshi halfway. With great precision Kenshi used his small Trench Knife to block the far larger blade of Qrow's weapon, reaction time on point with the Huntsman as both swung fiercely and quickly, Kenshi blocking all strikes with flawless precision while Qrow slowly narrowed his eyes as the short fight went on.
Kotori smirked as she held her right hand in front of her, clenching her fist and pulling it to her chest. The action caused a flat, orange circle of Aura at Qrow's feet. The man jumped back just as a pillar of flames erupted, similar to Cinder's own attack. Kotori pouted as she twirled her finger, causing the flames to be disrupted, turning into several individual snakes of flames, shooting towards Qrow like actual snakes. A crimson portal appeared next to him, Raven appearing out of it and grabbed Qrow, pulling him in before the flames could strike him, the portal reappearing at the other end of the stage and Qrow exiting from it.
''Aww~'' Kotori pouted again as the flames swam back to her, snaking around her like actual snakes ''I was sure I got you there''.
Another crimson portal opened, this time right behind Kotori. Raven exited the portal and swung her telescopic blade down at Kotori, only to hit a light grey dome-like barrier surrounding Kotori. Said girl smirked back at Raven, snapping her fingers as the snakes of fire dove at her, forcing her to hastily escape the blast zone as the tendrils finally collapsed into embers, dissipating shortly after.
''Damn shorty'' Qrow muttered as he straightened up, looking past Kenshi who was stoically standing in front of Kotori ''You're actually pretty good''.
A tic mark formed on her head ''Did you just call me short?!''.
''...Uh-huh''.
''Oh I am so turning you into piece of charcoal old man'' Kotori growled with a twitching eye.
''I am not old!'' Qrow fired back, eye also now twitching.
''Are too!''.
''Am not!''.
''Are-''.
''Will you two shut up?'' Kenshi and Raven growled, the latter more angrily, obviously tired of their banter. Kotori pouted but nodded, sitting her broom on thin air and sitting on it, legs over the side.
''Kenshi, Angel of Death''.
''Got it'' The man grunted as he sprinted towards the Branwen duo, who merely narrowed their eyes. Kotori went airborne on her broom, actually flying on it as she hung around the edge of the arena, muttering something with her eyes closed. Qrow met Kenshi halfway with a heavy swing of his blade, only to be taken aback as Kenshi caught it with his bare hand, smirking as he kicked Qrow in the chest and send him flying across the arena.
Raven turned to engage him, only for Kotori to open her eyes as almost a dozen small, hand-sized fire Sigils appeared around Kotori, glowing fiercely. Another, larger one appeared in front of her, and she murmured something incoherent as the large Sigil glowed before firing a body-sized fireball towards Raven, who swore and dodged. The smaller Sigils activated and small missiles of flames shot out like bullets, creating tiny explosions on impact. They did little other than whittle away at Raven's Aura, but the explosions set her off balance enough that she was incapable of blocking the fierce kick that Kenshi delivered, sending her close to where Qrow had landed.
Said man transformed his weapon into its shotgun form, firing at Kotori, the bullets racing towards her only for the light-grey shield from before to flicker into existence, absorbing the shots until the bullets hit the ground, momentum gone. Kotori smirked as she sent another volley of pint-sized missiles towards the man, while continuing to ride on her broom around the edge of the arena, raining fire from the air. The projectiles kicked up a veil of dust around part of the arena, obscuring the Branwen twins. Currently the combatants Aura was; Qrow: 85%, Raven: 90%, Kotori: 88%, Kenshi: 78%.
''I know you alive in there~'' Kotori sang mockingly. A small crow abruptly landed atop her now-visible light grey force field, making her blink ''What's a bird doing in here? Shoo! Shoo! Get off my shield!''.
Kenshi's eyes widened ''Kotori! That not a real bird!''.
''Eh?'' Kotori blurted just as the bird flashed, transforming back into Qrow who held a smirk. His weapon transformed into scythe form and he spun, lashing out several times in a second with fluid, graceful motions. It happened so quickly, and was so mesmerising that Kotori didn't form another Sigil, too entranced until her shield shattered under the constant damage, making her eyes widen. As his weapon changed into its sword form she only just managed to raise her arms, a weak defensive measure active before the sword struck her, sending her sailing into the ground and creating a body-sized imprint on the ground, leaving her groaning.
''Get up pipsqueak'' Kenshi grunted as he blocked Raven's attempt to finish Kotori, blocking with his bare arms.
''I... am... NOT... short! Just... undeveloped...'' Kotori panted, stumbling to her feet with a light scowl ''Oh~ I am gonna burn, freeze, liquefy, solidify, burn, and then burn him some more''.
''Ice Phoenix'' Kenshi grunted as he blocked another strike using his Semblance, but his Aura was taking a beating ''Now''.
''Got it'' She panted as she closed her eyes, the temperature immediately dropping by five degrees, then ten, then fifteen, then twenty, then twenty five. Ice particles formed around her, dancing and sparkling like stars as she worked her magic, Kenshi blocking any attempts at hitting her. A few seconds later a large light-blue Ice Sigil formed behind her at ground level, which was followed up by a large, Ice Deathstalker skittered out, screeching.
''Go get 'em'' She grinned as her hands continued to do rapid hand gestures, the Deathstalker screeched in acknowledgement before charging Raven, who scowled and jumped back to avoid being skewered by its tail, slashing at its claw and forming a cut, but not shattering it like real ice. Qrow came from the side, jumping over the attacking claw and burying his sword in its 'head', and immediately its whole body stopped and crumbled, no longer alive but now just ice.
Kenshi, who had been watching, scowled lightly ''That was supposed to distract you for longer''.
''We've dealt with Deathstalkers before, its not too hard'' Qrow replied as he slowly approached, Raven hanging back as always.
''Turning into a crow, and being able to form instant portals... quite unique Semblances'' Kenshi said as he cracked his knuckles.
''Yeah, shame I cant pin down your Semblances, though I'd guess yours is some kind of defensive one while Kotori has a more offensive one?''.
Another glance to Eien, and then Kenshi replied ''Close enough. My Semblance is Damage Absorption. Eien said he based it off one of his friends Semblances, Yang I think he said''.
''Woo~'' Said cheer came from Yang.
''The more damage I take, the less damage I'll continue to take. As long as I have Aura, and after a certain amount of hits, I can't take any damage'' He said.
Qrow hummed ''That explains why you keep catching our blades''.
''Yeah'' Kenshi replied with a slight smirk ''Kotori on the other hand doesn't have a Semblance, per say... her soul is unique apparently, which lets her do... all that''.
''Huh, I should ask Eien about that then'' Qrow said with a light smirk as he sprinted towards Kenshi, blocking his strike with ease, only for a portal to appear behind Kotori as Raven stepped out. She swung down but the lithe witch smoothly dodged, flicking her wrist and sending a spike of ice towards Raven, who slashed it in half with ease.
Kotori narrowed her eyes ''I'm getting bored of this... wanna up the ante?''.
''Kotori...'' Kenshi said with a deep frown.
''Relax~! Its nothing they won't handle'' She said as she snapped her fingers, the already cold temperature dropping as she tapped in more to her power. A large Ice Sigil formed behind her, half as tall as the room and almost wide enough to reach from one side of the barrier to the other. From it, like with the Deathstalker, a dragon made from Ice walked out. It had more of a lithe form, with its arm attached to its wings and a long, whip-like tail with blue-and-white scales, looking more real instead of made from ice.
''The mountains shake as the dragon roar, snow falls and blankets its scales, armouring it and shielding it from its foes, I call upon the northern winters to shield my ally... Snow Scales'' Kotori recited, loud enough for the others to hear for once. The Dragon roared as its skin glowed, scales of white snow forming on its body before the light died, the Dragon glaring with ruby eyes at Raven and Qrow.
''...well that's new'' Qrow said flatly.
''Oh I can do so much more than this, old man'' Kotori smirked ''But~ you wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm not Eien's second strongest for no reason... now go get 'em boy~''.
The dragon roared, stomping towards Qrow and Raven, who just dryly looked at each other, then sighed. Raven opened a portal and reopened it above the dragon, stabbing her blade down at it, only for the scales to make her blade bounce off it. She scowled, jumping off it to avoid its winged arm and charging for Kotori, Kenshi standing a little behind her looking bored.
''Really?'' Kotori said dryly ''You're coming for me when they're a dragon right beside you?''.
Raven didn't say anything, not like she did during a fight, but did curse when she was forced to dodge as a barrage of ice spikes shot at her, courtesy of a lazy swipe from Kotori. She growled as she couldn't even get close now, Kotori constantly barraging her with Ice if she got close. A medium-sized circle formed under her and she jumped to the side to avoid the oncoming attack, which turned out to be a pillar of ice, reaching as tall as the roof. Another appeared at her feet and she dodged, just a second before the pillar burst into existence.
Coming up with an impromptu strategy while Qrow distracted the dragon, she began wall-jumping off the sturdy pillars, dodging several lazy ice spikes as she did so before kicking off towards Kotori, taking a few ice spikes but ignoring them. She swung her blade down and Kotori widened her eyes, looking surprised, before smirking. A wall of ice formed between the two, and also encasing Raven's sword.
''Idiot'' Kotori mocked as Kenshi practically appeared under her, unleashed a vicious flurry of punches to her stomach, his fists a blur with the Wind Sigil under his feet, before striking her in the chin with a right hook, snapping her head back and sending her flying back, her grip on her weapon gone. She regained her bearings before she landed, gripping the ground and skidding to a stop, glaring at Kotori and Kenshi. She wasn't getting a break though, as the Dragon took that moment to bring its winged/clawed fist and smash it into her. Its fist being the size of her whole body, she went rocketing into the barrier, almost leaving an imprint on the it. However the dragons momentary distraction was long enough for Qrow to get under it, slashing with an Aura-enhanced strike and severing the whole head, killing it and making its body crumble.
''Raven Branwen is out'' Glynda called out as Raven's Aura dropped down to 8%. The student body were still watching with rapt attention, as they had since the class started - it wasn't everyday that a student came back from the dead, being able to summon living humans who were on par with a whole student team or teachers. Many were very curious about Kotori, as she was basically using magic, considering her usage of ice, fire, summoning and flight. The only one who wasn't avidly discussing it was Ruby, who just smirked the whole time, occasionally meeting Eien's hidden eyes and both of their smirks widened momentarily.
''You weren't kidding about being strong'' Qrow whistled as Raven limped off the stage, heading for the infirmary also ''Its a pretty unique Semblance''.
''Thanks'' Kotori beamed happily.
''No problem'' Qrow drawled ''Though I hardly think this is fair''.
Kotori rolled her eyes, once again sitting on her broom ''And? Either you surrender and we win, or our awesome teamwork kicks your ass and we win - I guess we overrated your skill, Hm?''.
Qrow twitched ''I'm gonna make you pay for that, midget''.
''Try it, oldie'' Kotori glared back, lightning now sparking around her.
''Eh... maybe another time'' Qrow finished lamely, sheathing his weapon ''I forfeit''.
''Qrow Branwen forfeits, Kotori/Kenshi are the winners''.
''Eh?'' Kotori blinked, taken aback ''That's it?''.
''Yeah, you outnumber me two-to-one, and both of your Aura's are already higher than mine, add in the fact of your magic-y stuff, I'll lose'' He said simply.
Kotori pouted ''Aw~ fine... but I want a rematch later old man!''.
''I am not old!'' He barked back as he left the stage.
''Keep telling yourself that'' She shot back as she floated off the stage on her broom while Kenshi just disappeared into a Sigil, re-entering Eien's soul. Kotori floated over to where Aria, Kindle and Eien were standing, also taking a spot there (mainly since the seats were already full in the auditorium... and because she wanted to be near Eien, since he was her creator).
''Hm... it seems I underestimated the strength of your Spirits'' Ozpin hummed to Eien, who was smirking smugly.
''Yes, vastly so'' He said smugly. Currently only Aria has lost, and that was because she underestimated her opponents.
''Well I suppose you wouldn't be against upping the ante once more?'' Ozpin quipped, pulling out his scroll to change the next people chosen. Eien smirked back at the elder man and nodded subtly, prompting Ozpin to change a few details on the counter. As the counter slowed, it revealed another surprise to the students and teachers, sans Ozpin and Eien; The 'team' was Glynda, Port and Oobleck.
''Ozpin?'' Glynda asked in surprise, looking at him, then the scroll and narrowed her eyes ''Sir...''.
''Hop to it, Glynda'' Ozpin smirked behind his mug, making the female professor sigh as she walked with her co-workers down to the stage, where Eien once again teleported down, once again speaking.
''Like with Raven and Qrow, because of your collective skill level you will be facing two opponents'' Eien explained briefly as two Sigils formed and raised the Spirits from within.
The first was a tall man, looking anywhere from his early thirties to his late fifties with short, messy brown hair that had a slightly wavy look with pointed tips like Eien's own hair. He wore an orange-brown shirt with a black vest over it, a pair of bronze-coloured slacks and black boots. He had a black belt on, with several bright-blue Dust crystals on the belt along with two handguns. They were rather bulky, and more notably looking like they were made from glass, considering they were totally see-through, the only thing not transparent being the Dust crystal currently within the gun, where a normal bullet would be in the chamber. On his hat was a cowboy hat, finishing his outfit along with a tired, if not bored look on his face.
The second was also a man, with short silver hair and squinted eyes. His outfit consisted of old-fashioned White Hakama pants, black sash and White Shitagi and White Kosode with long bell sleeves, hiding his hands. He wore oriental sandals with black Tabi, appearing unarmed, but after Kindle and Aria's performance it was questionable if he really was unarmed. He wore a mocking smile, looking in his early to mid twenties and rather skinny, though it was hard to tell through his clothing.
''Yare, Yare'' The silver man sang, a cheerful note to his tone ''Two on three? Dont'cha think this is a little unfair, Eien?~''.
''Not at all'' Eien replied before he vanished, reappearing back on the stage in a black reformation. The pre-fight timer counter down, leaving a little room for banter between opponents.
''What're yer names then?'' The silver-haired man asked cheerfully, practically bouncing on the spot.
''Glynda Goodwitch'' Glynda said crisply, adjusting her glasses as she examined their stances, only to find them in a formless stance, implying their fighting style could be anything.
''Bartholomew Oobleck''.
''Peter Port'' Port replied ''Yourselves?''.
''Gin, S-rank'' The silver haired man grinned, doing a mock-bow.
''Jaeger, S-Rank'' The brown haired cowboy said lazily, looking tired.
''Another two S-Ranks, Hm?'' Glynda mused ''And your ranks?''.
''Third'' Jaeger said disinterestedly.
''Fourth'' Gin grinned.
No conversation followed after that, just waiting as the timer counted down. As it got to three, Gin merely looking at Jaeger and called the codename ''Denial~''.
''Got it'' Jaeger grunted, flicking a switch on the side of his glass guns. The dial turned from '5' down to '2', lowering the power to limit destruction. Port and Oobleck nodded to each other and ran towards the Spirit duo, while Glynda stayed behind to observe and provide support. Gin went ahead while Jaeger hung back, lazily staring in Glynda's direction.
Gin drew a long katana from his sleeve, pulling it out in a flash and blocking both Port and Oobleck's weapons. The katana was longer than a normal one, pure white except for the gold trim on the guard and handle, and sky blue cloth dangling from the end acting as a tassel. With a rough flick of the wrist Gin broke the deadlock, making both sides skid back from one another. Glynda waved her riding crop and swung, sending several beams of purple energy towards both Gin and Jaeger. As they got close they abruptly went haywire before striking around them, inflicting no damage.
''Oh? I didn't think with those glasses your aim would be so bad'' Gin taunted with his grin withstanding as he almost casually held off a second strike from Port. He jumped back just as Oobleck swamped the area in fire from his weapon, avoiding it while keeping his semi-creepy grin on his face. Port ran in once again, attempting to blindside the man only for his weapon to once again be blocked, prompting him to spin in and point the blunderbuss end at Gin, who moved his head out of the way, the shots sailing past him and towards Jaeger, though they flew past without hitting him.
Oobleck came in from the side sprinting, firing off another burst of flames and prompting Gin to slyly dodge again ''Can't catch me~''.
Glynda huffed, sending a bolt of energy that went towards the ceiling, creating a large purple Glyph-Sigil that expanded to cover the area above Gin. Ice Spikes formed and shot down like bullets, but instead of striking Gin they changed course and headed towards the teachers. Both the males grunted as they withstood the storm using their Aura, while Glynda created a barrier to block them with a scowl.
''Might that be your Semblance?'' Glynda commented, as it was not normal for her attacks to do that.
''Perhaps'' Gin grinned widely as he charged the unprepared Oobleck, crashing his enlarged katana against his thermos, knocking the speedy man back ''Would it hurt for you to be a little more active, Jaeger-kun?''.
Jaeger sighed ''Fine...''.
Raising his right gun, he levelled it at the still-recovering Oobleck, before pulling the trigger. It shot a pure blue beam of raw energy at the man, crashing into him and causing an explosion and knocking the doctor back, Aura now dropped from 88% to 60% in that single shot, proving the power of the hand cannons.
''That's more like it'' Gin grinned ''How about... Hailstorm?''.
Jaeger sighed ''Alright''.
''Lets go~'' Gin cheered as he once again led the charge, heading towards Port. His katana glowed a pale blue and he jumped, doing a roll in the air before planting his blade in the ground, a large flame-like mound of spike-tipped ice forming. Port stumbled back, spinning his blunderbuss around to smash the ice, only for a low buzz above him to draw his attention. Jaeger floated in the air, both guns pointed down at Port, one simple comment from Ozpin cracking through the momentary silence.
''Oh dear''.
Like a hailstorm the tactic was named for, Jaeger unleashed a literal storm of energy blasts, dozens fired in a flurry down at Port. It kicked up a cloud of blue and white smoke from the raw energy, the air static around them. Silence reigned over the arena for nearly a minute before the smoke cleared, showing an unconscious but very much alive Port, much to Jaeger and Gin's surprise.
''Huh... tough guy'' Gin said, returning to his normal cheer as Glynda used her Semblance to lift him out of the arena and onto an awaiting stretcher by the edge of the arena. Gravity returned to Jaeger as he fell, landing in a crouch with his guns facing skyward.
''Professor Port is out'' Ozpin called over the mic, since Glynda wasn't there.
''Ready for round two?'' Gin called, bouncing on his heels like a kid as he spun the blade by the handle, still faintly glowing despite no Dust visible on the weapon. Oobleck shared a glance with Glynda, who nodded and waved her riding crop and send another volley of purple energy beams at Gin and Jaeger. Jaeger just sighed as Gin grinned wider, the projectiles crashing around them but not hitting them. This obviously annoyed Glynda as she tried again, using more, but the result was the same. Gin ran and met Oobleck halfway, katana meeting thermos as they fought for dominance. They broke the deadlock a moment later, Oobleck ducking under a swing and trying to strike from the fight, only for Gin's blade to whip back and block it, slashing the doctors shoulder in the process.
''I'm bored'' Jaeger said lazily as he took aim at Glynda, pulling the triggers and sending two blasts of energy at her. A swift flick of her riding crop sent them away from her, but she felt her telekinesis waver as they were redirected at her, exploding at her hastily-raised shield.
''Yare... guess I should finish up, can't have Jaeger getting even more bored'' He grinned widely as his swings suddenly picked up speed, surprising the doctor and thus allowing the silver-haired man to bash the hilt into his forehead, knocking him out at 32% Aura. Glynda scowled as the cloud dissipated, only for another, stronger volley to crash down, shattering the barrier and crashing into her, her Aura taking the brunt of the explosions and knocking said Aura down to 17%.
Through all of this, Jaeger had only needed to tap into his Semblance less than a dozen times, dropping his Aura down to 89% while Gin had only sustained minimum wounds and used his Semblance constantly, since it was a passive type, and his Aura was down to 78%.
''Do ya surrender?'' Gin grinned as he jabbed her direction with his katana.
''...Yes, I surrender'' Glynda scowled as she stormed off the stage, carrying Oobleck off with her Semblance.
''...somebody's pissed'' Jaeger summed up simply as he sighed, Ozpin announcing their victory before he disappeared into a Sigil. Gin however remained, joining his companions on the stage. The crowd were still somewhat stunned by the display. It was short, and it wasn't as flashy as the previous one, but the teamwork was excellent. As the counter spun, Ozpin and Eien shared a glance.
''Up the ante?'' Eien asked, a dangerous smirk on his face.
''Hm, you know there is only one way to go now'' Ozpin, sharing the smirk.
''I know'' Eien smirked as Ozpin sighed, walking onto the stage as his face appeared on the screen - to the students shock, once more. Eien joined him, walking this time instead of using SchattenSchritt. As he walked he reached into his cloak, before slowly pulling out an onyx black katana, similar to Gin's but not as long. Speaking of Gin and the other Spirits, they disappeared into their owns Sigils, since it still cost Eien some Aura to keep them summoned.
''The final match of the day will be between myself and Eien'' Ozpin spoke loudly, enough for the students to hear. The counter began counting down, nearing 15 seconds until the final fight. The class had not anticipated this, as they had not seen him fight before, but also assumed this would not include Eien fighting. As the timer ticked down the whole room became silent, when a single voice spoke up.
''Kick his ass Eien!'' Ruby shouted, grinning. Eien nodded in her direction, smirk widening a fraction as he did so before returning his gaze to Ozpin.
''I do hope you intend to take this seriously'' Eien said as he rolled his shoulders, Ozpin having left his mug and scroll somewhere nobody knew.
''Of course'' Ozpin nodded as the countdown got to three as he held his sword-cane in his right hand ''This certainly will be an interesting fight''.
''Indeed'' Eien replied as the buzzer sounded, but neither moved. Silence reigned as they simply stared at each other. Nearly a minute passed before anything happened, that of being Eien's body glowing a soft purple as the hem of his cloak floated slightly, a gust forming.
''Time to get the show started, Hm?'' Eien murmured as abruptly a dozen purple pencil-sized missiles formed in the air around him before shooting at Ozpin. The man merely watched as they got close, before his sword moved so fast it was a blur before returning to its starting position. A moment later a dozen small explosions echoed behind him, kicking up a harsh but brief wind.
Eien disappeared, his form turning pitch black before dissipating into SchattenSchritt. A loud clang was heard as Eien's katana met Ozpin's sword, the latter holding it above his head to block the strike, still looking faintly amused. Eien smirked at him again as an Ice-blue Sigil formed at Ozpin's feet, forcing him to break the deadlock and dodge to the side to avoid a sudden pillar of ice. He spun on his heel and raised his blade as it clashed with Eien's once more, kicking up a shockwave as both of their Aura flared momentarily, Ozpin's a khaki green while Eien's was purple.
They broke off from the deadlock only to engage less than a moment later, this time Eien going more offensive, lashing out with jabs and thrusts with his sword, which Ozpin deflected with effortless haste. Ozpin lunged out at Eien, only for Eien's body to shatter like glass, prompting Ozpin to spin around to block Eien's attack, the real one behind him. No words were said as Ozpin unleashed a flurry of slashes, only for Eien to block them - barely though. He jumped back to avoid another attack from Ozpin, pointing his blade at the headmaster as a purple ball of condensed Aura formed, before shooting at Ozpin like a laser. The headmaster merely jumped out of its path, letting it crash into the barrier and cause a decent explosion.
The grey haired man sprinted then, incredibly fast despite his age. Eien's form once again shattered on impact as the real Eien dropped from above, a black gravity Sigil behind him as he clashed with the headmaster, the man buckling under the force exerted. Ozpin grunted as he gathered the strength and shoved Eien back, the student doing a flip in the air before landing on his feet a few feet away.
''It seems you have gotten better at using your ability'' Ozpin mused as he straightened up again, his Aura at 97% while Eien was at 95%.
''Mm, its much more efficient now that I don't openly have to say the name before using it'' Eien replied before he disappeared. Unlike previous times, his form didn't turn black like with SchattenSchritt, instead he literally vanished in a second. Ozpin narrowed his eyes as he waited. He didn't have to wait long as Eien's body reappeared to his right, the sneak attack sadly failing as Ozpin easily blocked the attack.
''Invisibility?'' Ozpin mused once again as their blades fought for dominance, only to break apart a few seconds later. Eien scowled lightly as he drew out a bullet from inside his cloak, holding the hand out to the side before a flash obscured it, blinding everyone momentarily before they saw it. In place of the bullet was now Judgement, though its blade was more curved and clearly sharper. Eien spun the scythe around in his left while gripping the sword in his right, sighing with a smile.
''Seems that I shouldn't have tried coming into battle half-cocked, using only one of my two weapons was rather silly''.
''Duel-wielding a Sniper-Scythe and Sword? That's uncommon'' Ozpin hummed, though uncommon was a rather bland phrase for it. Only one person prior had down such a thing, one that happened to be related to the young Haizen.
''Perhaps'' Eien smiled mysteriously before he teleported with SchattenSchritt, reappearing above Ozpin. He lunged with Judgement, yanking the polearm back once Ozpin fell for the feint, bringing Ozpin's sword to the side and allowing Eien to deliver a solid slash down Ozpin's torso, covering almost his whole torso. The man, surprisingly, didn't falter or stumble, instead his knee smashed into Eien's nose before his sword came down on his shoulder, cutting into his skin slightly before his body shattered. The real Eien appeared a dozen feet away, smirking.
''A teleportation/illusion Semblance?'' Ozpin muttered as he stared down Eien.
''Yep'' The teen said plainly ''I created the souls of my Spirits, I can tap into their Semblances and use it in place of my own, though I can only use one at a time. Any soul that is within mine allows me to tap into their Semblance, as you may have seen''.
''I see'' Ozpin commented before he was suddenly in front of Eien, surprising the teen greatly as he dodged a swift slash from the headmaster. A ivory white Sigil appeared at his feet and sent him airborne as he tucked into a ball, spinning rapidly as he descended. As he got close he uncurled, Judgment flying like a shuriken at the headmaster, who swung his blade to deflect it but greatly underestimated the kinetic force behind it as he as was sent skidding back a few feet. The scythe seemingly had a mine of its own as it rose into the air and slashed down at his back, prompting the headmaster to spin on his heel and block the blade.
Eien appeared behind Ozpin, lashing out and scoring a diagonal slash on his back, before the headmaster whipped around like a bullet and scored an identical mark on his chest, cutting into his cloak. Eien grunted as he hopped back, spinning his sword before also throwing it like a flail. Ozpin merely knocked the sword aside, letting it bounce off and stab into the ground at his feet. However it glowed a bright purple, making his eyes widen before he was engulfed in a dome of purple energy, roaring and pulsating but not expanding like a normal explosion. It didn't take long for it to fizzle out, and when it did it revealed Ozpin with slight burns on his clothes, his Aura fading as it had protected him.
''Aura Construction? It seems that I have underestimated you if you are capable of such a feat'' Ozpin mused.
Eien smirked ''I believe we've messed about enough, care to take off the kiddy gloves?''.
''Indeed. Wouldn't want to drag this out any longer than necessary'' Ozpin returned the smirk as he reached for his glasses, taking them off before crushing them in his palm. Immediately his Aura flared to life around him, brighter than before, almost lime green. The ground beneath him even cracked under the pressure of his Aura, so potent it was affecting gravity.
''Impressive'' Eien hummed as his own Aura flared to life ''Seele Mitteilung''.
A gust was kicked up after those words were said. A white swirl of energy engulfed him like a miniature tornado, enshrouding him for a few moments before revealing his form. Unlike the others his had four wings in an 'X' shape, being white with a black outline. His cloak had changed to be half black, half white - the white side having a gold outline while the black side had a silver one. His hair had also become half-white under it, much like Mona's appearance, and his purple pupil also now had black sclera. He floated for a moment, the amount of exerted energy enough to reverse gravity to an extent, before it calmed down and his feet touched the floor.
''I believe the real fight starts now'' Eien smirked as he vanished, reappearing behind Ozpin and slashing down with his sword. Ozpin blocked it, creating spider-webbed cracks under him, and swiftly dodged the attack from Eien's second weapon, his scythe. Eien pursued him, spinning his scythe and slamming the blunt end on the ground, using it to vault over Ozpin and clash blades mid-flight, the man having seemingly unbeatable reflexes. Currently, Eien's Aura was at 70% while Ozpin's was at 74%, showing Ozpin was still ahead of Eien.
Eien jumped back, dodging a swing from Ozpin in the process, and threw Judgement once again. The blade sped up on its own, kinetic force building from no visible source as Ozpin wisely dodged it, scowling when the blade came back around like a homing missile, still spinning. Eien muttered something under his breath before a large Sigil appeared above Ozpin, who did not notice it immediately as he deflected the homing scythe, only to notice the Sigil above. A titanic bolt of thunderous lightning shot down, striking Ozpin and engulfing him in a six metre thick area of pure lightning. It lasted only a few seconds but when it cleared it showed Ozpin hunched over his cane, a green shield around him, protecting him.
''Huh'' Eien said lamely before pointing his blade towards Ozpin, a purple sphere forming on the edge before it shot out with a low hum, his Scythe flying back into his hand. Ozpin dodged the beam as he sprinted towards Eien, covering the distance in seconds, clashing blades with the shorter teen and knocking him back with a surprising amount of strength, prompting him to stab his scythe into the ground and use it as a swing, launching himself back towards Ozpin. Before he clashed an ivory Sigil appeared, shooting him upwards where a black one was waiting after the anti-gravity one disappeared, shooting him down like a meteor at Ozpin. The elder man grunted as they clashed, gravity adding to the weight of Eien's attack. A soft green glow surrounded Ozpin's weapon before a beam of energy shot out pushing Eien back before exploding, sending the teen tumbling back before he found solid footing.
Another Ice Sigil formed under Ozpin's feet, forcing him to jump to the side to avoid an ice pillar, only for several more to burst into existence around him, though he dodged them before they formed. Eien used a Wind Sigil and shot towards Ozpin, clashing blades and carrying his momentum, letting him use additional Wind Sigils to bounce off each of the pillars and increasing said momentum until he was a literal blur, rivalling if not surpassing Ruby's maximum speed. Ozpin barely managed to turn and block the sword that came for him, and when he did the kinetic force behind it sent him sailing through an ice pillar, skidding to a stop, and revealing that Eien had not hit him, but instead it was his sword.
Eien himself clashed with him then, shooting like a bullet with an identical sword as causing a crater to form under Ozpin as the two entered another deadlock. It only lasted a few seconds before Eien broke off, jumping back a dozen feet and glancing at the Aura metres. Eien was at 60% while Ozpin was at 58%. Eien raised a hand and flicked his wrist, instantly forming and firing a purple projectile that looked like a bullet. Ozpin dodged it, letting it crash behind him and creating another dome of purple energy, shaking the ground around them from the force, but neither fighter was affected.
Ozpin once again charged and covered the distance between them in seconds, sword coming down and clashing with his opponents own. Eien smirked as he opened his then-closed free hand, revealing a ball of pure energy, which pulsated and exploded, engulfing the duo. They both jumped out of the explosion at opposite ends, but blurred back in, their resulting clash dispelling the lingering smoke cloud. Ozpin's knee shot up like a bullet at Eien but the latter dodged back skilfully, almost expecting it as Ozpin's attacks slowly gained speed, cuts slowly forming on Eien as he was incapable of keeping up with the man's sheer speed. He saw a brief opening and took it, opening his palm and releasing a strong pulse of Aura, creating a shockwave that sent him flying back and causing Ozpin to stumble.
He used it to his advantage, the shockwave sending him flying back into the barrier where a Wind Sigil formed, which shot him upwards into a gravity one, which then led to another trail of wind Sigils. In an expertly planned manoeuvre Eien blurred around the arena, almost leaving rings in the air from the speed he was going at. Soon he reached his goal and hit the last Wind Sigil on the ceiling, sending him crashing straight into the ground, implanting his blade into the ground, and surprisingly not creating a crater, all of the kinetic force just vanishing. He looked up at Ozpin and smirked, making the headmaster narrow his eyes in suspicion as Eien charged.
When he got close his blade glowed, and when their blades clashed it released a titanic shockwave against Ozpin, all of the kinetic force having been compressed and energised within the katana. The man was sent flying back with some blunt trauma and a gash, barely managing to skid to a stop before blocking a second, weaker but still strong strike. Eien went sailing past before he turned on the spot, kicking off and getting in another deadlock with Ozpin, creating a shockwave between them.
''Kinetic Absorption and Projection'' Ozpin nailed down as they broke apart, both panting. Eien was at 35% since he had summoned all those Sigils, while Ozpin was at 38% because his Aura had to absorb all that force. Only a handful of minutes remained on the clock ''Its a miracle my weapon didn't shatter''.
''Yeah'' Eien agreed as he straightened up ''Lets up the ante, Hm?''.
''I agree'' Ozpin nodded as his whole form glowed with his Aura, wisps of green energy glowing around him. Eien did the same, but with purple wisps. The glow melded with their swords, causing them to hiss and vibrate as they did so. Both of them held a grin before they practically vanished, reappearing halfway and creating a shockwave as they met, moving past the other only to turn heel and clash in a deadlock. A flurry of slashes, blocks, counters and jabs moved too fast for even Ruby to track, their arms merely a blur before they broke apart. They only skidded a few feet apart before Eien swung, sending a wave of purple flames at Ozpin, who retorted by flicking his wrist and sending green flames at him. The flames roared against one another before exploding like Fire and Dust, but the aftermath was kicked away as the fighters met amid the smoke, clashing once more.
Another flurry of thrusts was sent by Ozpin, which was mostly blocked by Eien who retorted with swift but heavy slashes, adding several more cuts to the mans suit. Eien backed off to avoid another slash, instead swiping at the air and sending a wave of energy at Ozpin, who replied with his own wave of energy, exploding both of them before returning to melee combat. It persisted of another flurry of strikes and more wounds to both parties, their Aura's dropping down into the twenties before they were sent flying back from another shockwave, courtesy of Eien.
''Hm, it seems this cant carry on much longer'' Eien noted, both because of the time and aura levels ''Lets finish this, shall we?''.
''Indeed'' Ozpin grunted as both of them concentrated their Aura to its max, before charging once more. Their blades clashed and they skid past one another, time seemingly slowing as they didn't move. Silence reigned once more until it was broken as a large gash formed across Eien's chest and back, cutting off the lower half of his cloak and only leaving the hood. Ozpin got his own, nigh identical wound a moment later as his outer suit was torn to shreds, fluttering to the ground. Both fighters stumbled before planting their blades in the ground, supporting them as they breathed heavily and glanced up at the counter.
Eien: 9% / Ozpin: 14%
''Damn... you... win this... time... Ozpin'' Eien grinned weakly as he gasped for breath, his monochrome wings dissipating into wisps of energy and his appearance reverting to normal. Ozpin just grunted as he fished out a fresh pair of glasses, putting them on and sealing his titanic power once more. As they both made their way to the infirmary.
''Eien is out, the winner is Headmaster Ozpin'' Glynda called out, having returned to the mic shortly after her fight ''Class is dismissed. Because Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck are currently unavailable, their classes will be cancelled today. Good day students''.
''You were holding back, weren't you?'' I muttered as we walked down the infirmary halls, which were rather empty.
''Of course'' Ozpin replied evenly ''If I were to go all out I would've blown up the whole school, it was only prudent to take caution''.
''I see'' I hummed, taking another bullet from my belt and transforming it into a fresh cloak, the tattered remains of the last one turning to ash.
''Meet me in my office in ten minutes, alone'' Ozpin said, his voice distant and I turned, only to blink owlishly when he was no longer walking beside me.
I sighed, running a hand over my face ''You are a strange man, Ozpin''.
Instead of carrying on into the infirmary I tapped into my Dunkelheit, my purple eye flashing slightly before my vision became black, my form reappearing back at the dorm room of my team. I pulled out my scroll from my belt, which I had Risa retrieve from Ozpin a while back, and scrolled through my contacts. Ended at the one I wanted, I gave it a call.
''Y'ello?''.
''Hello Roman'' I smirked.
''...Eien? The fuck I thought you were dead! Oum only knows what the hell you've been up to. Speaking of which... what're you calling me for? Kinda getting ready for my next heist in two hours''.
''Nothing big'' I hummed ''But~ I wanted to know, since you're still doing it, how've you been doing it? If I remember correctly, quite a few of your former companions are here at Beacon or with me?''.
''Junior's thugs and some White Fang grunts'' Roman explained in a lazy tone ''Why?''.
''Give me the location of the heist and I'll drop a few friends to help out''.
''...Alright, what're their names?''.
''Neo and Risa''.
A/N: And that's that. There will be more Spirits introduced and older ones (Eleanor, Doran, Neo(?)) shown. Next chapter and probably the one after that won't focus on the main plot too much, since I've been a bit too focused on it so far, and we'll just kick back a bit and have some character development and fun.
In either the next chapter or the one after that I'll focus a bit more on Eien's Spirits. I know not everyone likes OC's but I feel that if I'm going to add them, then I may as well give them some character instead of being background people.
Once again some of the spirits personalities or appearances are based upon anime characters, here's a list;
Mona = Original Design.
Kenshi = Kensei from ''Bleach''.
Kotori = Lolikiano from ''The Gamer''.
Gin = Gin from ''Bleach''.
Jaeger = Starrk from ''Bleach''.